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A review by shimauchiha
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
2.0
The two stars aren't wrong, It was ok. (Kind of...Maybe... not really)
I found it strangely disappointing. It wasn't what I expected from the second book of [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239] and not in a good way.
It took me a ridiculously long time to read, which is never a good sign. At no point during reading it did I feel like I couldn't stop or had my breath taken away from me.
The plot definitely felt itchy, really really itchy.
However even more ridiculous that that was why Glisselda decided to sit around while Janoula kept Seraphina and other half dragons prisoner for weeks and practically ran the city? Janoula just arrived with no army, persuaded one guard to let her in and took over? After all of Seraphina's warning why exactly didn't Glisselda order her to be imprisoned or even better be kept unconscious while they found a way to free everyone? Janoula had no power over anyone but half dragons! What the fuck was going on with everyone else? )
The villain's master plan was basically that she hated the world and wanted everybody dead. Yet no one could seem to gleam her sophisticated intentions.
I didn't connect at all with Seraphina in this book. She was just always a little too less than she should have been. She came to conclusions too slow and arrived everywhere too late to make a difference. Her constant nagging and self pity certainly didn't really help matters. Specially when she decided to take the peaceful approach to a person who was torturing all her loved ones. (Peaceful approach Translates to: She left offered weapons behind and decided to do nothing while others suffer and then blame herself for it and do some more nothing) No other character was present enough to make that much of an impression. ( I did love Abdo though)
The ending was anti climatic too me and seemed fake.
The romance went ridiculous ways in this book.
If you ask my opinion the book saying they came to an agreement which no one else needed to know about reads a lot like a lazy patch up attempt of covering up the fact that the author had no idea what to do with the romance herself. She had no idea what should happen with them so she decided to say no one needed to know. Well, we kind of do. We're the readers. I assume if we're allowed to read about their secrets and all hidden thoughts and feelings we're allowed to know what happens between them in the end.
Let's just say the book was just barely adequate and leave it at that. I think it's enough of an explanation by itself. What a shame. I really did enjoy [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239]
P.S : That cover is absolutely stunning. The one thing I truly loved about this book. I just like looking at it.
P.S : I have no idea why the book was called shadow scale by the way.
I found it strangely disappointing. It wasn't what I expected from the second book of [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239] and not in a good way.
It took me a ridiculously long time to read, which is never a good sign. At no point during reading it did I feel like I couldn't stop or had my breath taken away from me.
The plot definitely felt itchy, really really itchy.
Spoiler
Take Janoula's persuasions for example, Sure let's accept her powers over half dragons but over everyone else? Every single person who met her could be persuaded by a shining light and a few words? How is that in anyway realistic? No matter how persuasive someone else is simply statistically impossible that that charm would work on every single person. The fact that even Lucian seemed blinded was beyond ridiculous, after weeks of planning after one conversation with Janoula he was practically in love and accused Seraphina of exaggeration, a fact that he never apologised for afterwards. No one even mentioned Joanna's effect on himHowever even more ridiculous that that was why Glisselda decided to sit around while Janoula kept Seraphina and other half dragons prisoner for weeks and practically ran the city? Janoula just arrived with no army, persuaded one guard to let her in and took over? After all of Seraphina's warning why exactly didn't Glisselda order her to be imprisoned or even better be kept unconscious while they found a way to free everyone? Janoula had no power over anyone but half dragons! What the fuck was going on with everyone else?
The villain's master plan was basically that she hated the world and wanted everybody dead. Yet no one could seem to gleam her sophisticated intentions.
I didn't connect at all with Seraphina in this book. She was just always a little too less than she should have been. She came to conclusions too slow and arrived everywhere too late to make a difference. Her constant nagging and self pity certainly didn't really help matters. Specially when she decided to take the peaceful approach to a person who was torturing all her loved ones. (Peaceful approach Translates to: She left offered weapons behind and decided to do nothing while others suffer and then blame herself for it and do some more nothing) No other character was present enough to make that much of an impression. ( I did love Abdo though)
The ending was anti climatic too me and seemed fake.
The romance went ridiculous ways in this book.
Spoiler
What the hell was their situation with the love triangle? I wanted a better conclusion, or any conclusion for that matter. What did Seraphina discover about herself when Glisselda kissed her? Was that a hint that she loved her back? After one kiss?! Why did Glisselda have to pretend to be straight and marry? There was no hint that in their country being Gay wasn't acceptable. Seraphina couldn't even realise the two saints who loved each other were disowned because they were both men. That certainly either showed homophobia doesn't exist at all or that she is an idiot. Nether of which speaks well for the book. Wore than that flawed logic however was how suddenly they were all ok with having some weird secret threesome relationship? Was Lucian supposed to sleep with Glisselda (who was described as his sister multiple times) to have children? Seraphina was fine with that? Always living a secret life, never being able to have a family, just being the mistress?If you ask my opinion the book saying they came to an agreement which no one else needed to know about reads a lot like a lazy patch up attempt of covering up the fact that the author had no idea what to do with the romance herself. She had no idea what should happen with them so she decided to say no one needed to know. Well, we kind of do. We're the readers. I assume if we're allowed to read about their secrets and all hidden thoughts and feelings we're allowed to know what happens between them in the end.
Let's just say the book was just barely adequate and leave it at that. I think it's enough of an explanation by itself. What a shame. I really did enjoy [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239]
P.S : That cover is absolutely stunning. The one thing I truly loved about this book. I just like looking at it.
P.S : I have no idea why the book was called shadow scale by the way.